The lift is the same shape and structure (but not as heavily built) as the crane used to lift engine blocks out of cars. I don't think most patients would like to be compared to an engine block. ;-) Best wishes to you, Kat!

I had a patient many years ago who, when we lifted him into the bath with the 'crane' said, "I used to deliver skips for a living - I've always wanted to do this - wooooohooooo". Sadly he completely lost the plot about a month later and couldn't appreciate it anymore.

CC- Don't beat yourself up over this incident. In Lent, there are plenty other more important issues to beat yourself up about- ;>). Perhaps the emphasis here should simply be on, "... [NOT] in front of your obese patient"?

Since you provided the Wiki link on "Hoyer lift", hopefully you read that the inventor in the original patent filing called the device a "Floor CRANE [emph. added] with Adjustable Legs", well before "medical professionals" came up with the more "culturally sensitive" and "life-affirming" euphemism "lift". So, you weren't really off the mark at all.

If your gravitationally-challenged patient got offended at your insensitive terminology, I think he/she needs to lighten up (heh!) and acquire a sense of humor stat, instead of whining at poor, harried student nurses.

Nevertheless, pray for all your patients, and accept their vagaries and complaints in a spirit of humility. And give thanks to G*d it's not you in the bed, or on the-ahem- "lift"...

My grandmother was a resident of a nursing home for five years, and they needed to use one of these to get her in and out of bed and onto and off of the toilet. She had various names for it: the crane, the derrick, the forklift, the portable swingset...

This is a great post. I just had one of the ‘Doh!’ moments and ran back to correct my own site before publishing my comment. You see my own comment form did not match what I’m about to advice. I get less comment than you, so never noticed any problem. I’ve changed it now anyway so here goes.